China Cultural Information and Training Resources

Transcription

1 China Cultural Information and Training Resources for Tourism Operators October 2018

2 Cultural Overview of China and the Chinese Traveller Why are Chinese visitors so important to Queensland? China is Australia s fastest growing and most valuable inbound tourism market. Chinese visitors are expected to spend up to 13 billion a year by Chinese visitors accounted for 18.8 per cent of all visitors to Queensland in the year to June 2018, worth AUD 1.32 billion YE June 2018 to Queensland s economy 2. China s economic boom means there s an increasingly wealthy and internationalised middle-class with money to spend on travel. In world terms, Chinese travellers made more than 131 million overseas trips in 2017 and continue to lead global outbound travel in terms of expenditure 3. Why do Chinese visitors come to Queensland? Chinese visitation to Queensland has grown strongly with expenditure up 19.4 per cent and visitation up 14.2 per cent in the three years ending December While historically most Chinese visitors travelled to Queensland in groups, the number of free independent travellers (FIT) from China has seen a steady increase with 48% of Chinese visitors surveyed identified as FIT travellers 4. The main motivators for Chinese visitors to travel are world-class nature, good food and wine, spectacular coastal scenery, safety and security, and value for money. While Australia was the ninth most visited destination by Chinese travellers in 2016, the high value Chinese traveller ranks Australia as the number one destination for consideration of long haul travel in the next two years. 5 2 China Cultural Information and Training Resources for Tourism Operators

3 Some basic China statistics ONE IN FOUR PEOPLE IN THE WORLD LIVE IN CHINA It is the world s most populated country with 1.39 BILLION RESIDENTS 6 China is extremely diverse GEOGRAPHICALLY. In the west, it adjoins the world s HIGHEST MOUNTAIN, ranges to TROPICAL IN THE SOUTH and SUBARCTIC IN THE NORTH CHINA IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD AUSTRALIA IS THREE QUARTERS ITS SIZE MORE THAN 160 CITIES IN CHINA HAVE A POPULATION OF ONE MILLION+ CHINA IS THE WORLD S SECOND LARGEST ECONOMY 11 AND IT IS AUSTRALIA S NUMBER ONE TRADING PARTNER, WITH 40 YEARS OF DIPLOMATIC TIES 13 SHANGHAI = 24M BEIJING = 19M GUANGZHOU = 14.5M SHENZHEN = 12M 7 THEY ARE THE LARGEST EXPORTER AND THE SECOND LARGEST IMPORTER OF GOODS IN THE WORLD, WITH A WEALTH OF NATURAL RESOURCES TOO 12 of international students CURRENTLY STUDYING in Australia are from China. 14 By the end of 2017, over 1.4 MILLION Chinese nationals will have studied abroad as international students. 15 Over the next decade, the population of China s middle class will GROW from its current 150 MILLION to about 400 MILLION 8 CHINA IS INCREASINGLY URBANISED In 2011, the number of people living in cities topped those in rural areas for the first time. 60% OF THE POPULATION live in a 1,000km wide strip along the coastline. 9 CHINA IS THE LARGEST SMARTPHONE MARKET IN THE WORLD 10 Nearly 40% of people in China use the internet, particularly via mobile phones. For centuries China was a LEADING CIVILIZATION outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences. It has arguably the WORLD S LONGEST CONTINUOUS CIVILISATION with 5,000 YEARS OF RECORDED HISTORY plus strong philosophies, traditions and values, many still important today. In China, there are more than ONE MILLION MILLIONAIRES The average age is 39, MAINLY MALE with an average of THREE CARS, FOUR LUXURY WATCHES and go on THREE INTERNATIONAL TRIPS A YEAR 16 China Cultural Information and Training Resources for Tourism Operators 3

4 Key cultural background to understanding Chinese visitors The most important thing is to remember that with such a diverse and populated country, people s experiences and aspirations can be very different. The following points are to assist the Queensland tourism industry understand Chinese visitors. Pride in Chinese Culture Chinese people take great pride in their country s long and rich culture, history, way of life and socio-political situation. Various religions and philosophies, such as Buddhism and Taoism, have influenced society with Confucianism the constant nucleus of Chinese culture. Over the past 60 years, China s cultural orientation changed dramatically. The People s Republic of China was established on 1 October 1949, after two decades of civil and international wars. Its founding father was Mao Zedong who converted China into a single party socialist state. It is still the world s largest and most powerful one-party regime. Economic planning is central to its rule, with the country guided by a series of Five Year Plans. After a series of reforms in 1978, the country has been modernised and has been the fastest growing economy in the world with huge but uneven growth depending on where people lived. It achieved this by producing manufactured goods very cheaply and via its central planning, ploughing massive amounts of money into its extensive and highspeed rail, ports, factories and skyscrapers. Anyone who saw the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing or Expo 2010 in Shanghai would have noticed the ultra- modern skylines of modern China. With the rise in capitalism, business men and women have led the growth of a large middle-class resulting in a boom in all consumer goods, particularly luxury items from cars to watches and highend fashion. Travel is increasingly important and Chinese travellers are reported to spend 28% of income on international trips, with millennials the big spenders, allocating 35% of their income China Cultural Information and Training Resources for Tourism Operators

5 RUSSIA KAZAKHSTAN Hailar HEILONGJIANG Burqin Harbin KYRGYZSTAN Urumqi MONGOLIA INNER MONGOLIA JILIN Changchun Shenyang TAJ. PAK. Kashi INDIA NEPAL XINJIANG XIZANG (TIBET) Korla BHUTAN Yinchuan Baotou Hohhot CHINAZhengzhou Lhasa Golmud BANGLADESH GANSU QINGHAI Xining SICHUAN Lanzhou Chengdu Kunming YUNNAN Xi an Chongqing Guiyang NINGXIA SHAANXI CHONGQING GUIZHOU GUANGXI Taiyuan SHANXI HEBEI TIANJIN Dalian Tianjin Shijiazhuang HUBEI Wuhan Changsha HUNAN HENAN BEIJING Ji nan SHANDONG Qingdao Lianyungang ANHUI Hefei Nanchang JIANGXI GUANGDONG Guangzhou JIANGSU Nanjing Hangzhou Fuzhou FUJIAN Xiamen LIAONING ZHEJIANG Kao-hsiung NORTH KOREA Yellow Sea Shanghai SHANGHAI Taipei Taiwan SOUTH KOREA East China Sea BURMA LAOS VIETNAM Nanning Haikou Zhanjiang Hong Kong Macau Andaman Sea THAILAND HAINAN Hainan Dao South China Sea Luzon CAMBODIA Regional variations China is a huge, multi-racial, multi- cultural, multi-religious society. While the Han racial group make up 94 per cent of the total population and dominate consumer patterns, there are 56 racial groups across the country with different tastes and preferences. The coastal regions of China are more industrialized, while inland regions are less developed. So not unreasonably, regional differences can be vast. For example, Beijing consumers tend to be more conservative than those from the south, are generally wellinformed and quality-conscious. Those from Guangdong home to many millionaires tend to be more entrepreneurial and often open to more adventurous travel. Guangdong consumers enjoy spending on expensive food and liquor while those in Shanghai spend more on fashion and personal healthcare products. The role of the family The Chinese place great importance on the family, group, consensus, and surface harmony. Chinese culture stresses respect for the old and care for the young, acknowledging the influence of previous generations and the legacy they ve created. For more than 30 years, there has been a one-child policy affecting a lot of the country, so these children tended to grow up with even more attention. They are now part of this burgeoning middle class who enjoy spending money. China Cultural Information and Training Resources for Tourism Operators 5

6 Status and Face Status is important, particularly to older Chinese, and relationships between those of different economic positions or roles are usually more formal. The concept of face has a strong influence on Chinese interpersonal relationships. Face or mianzi is the regard in which a person is held by others. Preserving face or self-esteem and recognition of others status, title/ position or prestige is vitally important to Chinese people. When a Chinese person s reputation or prestige is enhanced, they gain face. If the person is not treated with respect or is insulted in some way, they can lose face. When addressing Chinese travellers it is important to show respect and address the person of highest rank. Very generally speaking, the highest ranking person will be the eldest in the party and usually male. Be aware that a person translating for a group may not be the leader. The concept of face also influences many consumers to buy prestigious brand names to show their level of success and prestige. Confucius says Confucius (c.551bce c.479bce) was a renowned Chinese teacher and social philosopher who has deeply influenced life and thinking in China and elsewhere. He promoted respect, kindness, and positive social and family values. Here s a quote from Confucius that can be used to welcome Chinese visitors: How delighted I am (we are) to have friends coming from afar (or in other words: Isn t it a joy to meet friends from afar?) Yǒu péng zì yuǎnfāng lái, bú yì lè hu? 有朋自远方来, 不亦乐乎? 6

7 References 1 / 5 Tourism Australia s China Market Profile Tourism and Events Queensland International Tourism Snapshot YE June United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Tourism and Events Queensland, Unpacking the Chinese Leisure Traveller / 13 Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT) 7 / 9 National Bureau of Statistics of People s Republic of China 8 Boston Consulting Group forecast 10 International Telecommunications The State of Broadband / 12 US Government/CIA The World Factbook 14 Department of Education and Training International Student Data Monthly Summary July Chinese Ministry of Education 16 Hurun Report, The Chinese Luxury Consumer White Paper, Hotels.com China International Travel Monitor 2018 This document is part of Tourism and Events Queensland s suite of China Cultural Information and Training Resources for Tourism Operators. For more information, including the opportunity to hear pronunciations of common greetings, see queensland.com/china Disclaimer: The information in this document is provided as a guide only. Irrespective of any measures taken by Tourism and Events Queensland to check that the information is accurate or complete, in no event will Tourism and Events Queensland be liable to any person in contract, tort (including, but without limitation, negligence) or otherwise if any information in this document is incomplete or inaccurate. October 2018 China Cultural Information and Training Resources for Tourism Operators 7

8 Tourism and Events Queensland GPO Box 328, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia T: E: reception@queensland.com teq.queensland.com facebook.com/visitqueensland twitter.com/queensland twitter.com/teqld instagram.com/queensland youtube.com/queensland linkedin.com/company/tourism-and-events-queensland